When it comes to Australian Rules Football, the number on the back of the jumper has always meant less, while simultaneously meaning more.

Unlike all forms of rugby and the world game, they don't denote any particular position, and unlike the NFL for the longest time, there has never been any restriction on which player could wear which number - except for seniority, of course.

Dissimilar to most American sports, we don't retire our numbers, either, meaning that new generations of stars and spuds alike have the opportunity to eclipse the legacies of champions that came before them.

From the legends in the low-numbered lockers to the also-rans with sixty-something stitched to the backs, here are the players that made the most AFL/VFL appearances in every jumper guernsey number ever seen.

Beware, things get a bit odd once we hit the late 40s.

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17-24 

17 - Michael Tuck - Hawthorn - 426 games
18 - Kane Cornes - Port Adelaide - 293 games
19 - Michael O'Loughlin - Sydney - 292 games
20 - Simon Black - Brisbane - 322 games
21 - Craig Bradley - Carlton - 375 games
22 - Todd Goldstein - North Melbourne - 315* games
23 - Andrew McLeod - Adelaide - 340 games
24 - Gary Dempsey - Footscray/North Melbourne - 329 games

AFL Rd 21 - Port Adelaide v Adelaide
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: Andrew McLeod of the Crows runs during the round 21 AFL match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Adelaide Crows at AAMI Stadium August 27, 2006 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Knowler/Getty Images)
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